Welder&#39;s shield



May 12, 1942. R. L. MALCOM WELDERS SHIELD Filed Dec. 14, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ay 12, 1942. R]; ALC M 2,283,120

WELDERS SHIELD Filed Dec. 14, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Roberillyaom,

Patented May 12, 1942 PATENT OFFICE 2,283,120 I WELDERS SHIELD Robert L. Malcom, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Eye Shield Company, a corporation of Illinois Application December 14, 1940, Serial No. 370,205

' claim (01. 2- 8) This invention relates to protectors of the hel-' 7 met or mask type to prevent injury to the eyes, faces, and heads of welder, grinders, stone and steel workers, and others, by intense light,

thrown off sparks and particles, and otherim- .--5

pinging matter.

The protecting part of the article described and shown is referred to as the shield body, and the invention relates to a headband for supporting the body on the head of a user, to adjust-5'10 ment of the headband to the size required, and to connection of the headband to the shield body.

It is an object of the invention to provide a size changeable headband positioned inside of mounted on the body to alter the circumference of the headband to that required by the user.

Another object is to position the actuating part of the adjusting mechanism in a place where it easily is accessible to the hand of the wearer? when he wishes to change the size of the headband.

When considered with the description herein, characteristics of the invention are apparent in wherein an adaptation is disclosed for purpose of explanation.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts in the views of the drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3, Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4, Fig. l

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5, Fig.2;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6, Fig. 4. The shield body, designated as a whole by reference-character 1, preferably is a single rigid, strong, and comparatively thin and lightweight article such as can be made advantageously by pressing sheet fiber or other material susceptible of being shaped by dies. It includes a top part 8 arcuately extending rearwardly as a protecting cover for the front top of the head, a front or face protecting part 9 bowed to transverse arcuate form from which side wings ill extend rearwardly to protect sides of the face and head, and a bottom part II extending rearwardly to protect the under side of the chin and jaws of the wearer.

The front part 9 has a sight opening surrounded by a frame l2 carrying eye protecting glass l3.

Members [4 and I5, which are to support the shield body on a head harness, are of rather thin Each of those members is of substantiallyyushape and includes a shank l6 that is positioned adjacent to a side of the shield body, anarch I1, and a leg l8 that normally is disposed substantially parallel to the shank.

The member M is connected pivotally to one of the shield wings by a bolt I9 orsimilar fastening having its head 20 on the outside of the wing and nuts 2| on the inside thereof, the bolt extendingthrough the shank of the member.

Washers 22 orequivalent spacers .on the bolt are positioned on oppositesides of the shank.

The other member l5 has its shank [6 connected pivotally to the other wing of the shield the shield body in association with mechanism 15' body on a part of an adjusting mechanism hereinafter referred to.

The head harness includes a bowed or arched crown member 23, and a headband 24 disposed inside of end portions of the crown member. The headband is split, and it has at one side an inner end portion 25 and an end portion 26 that laps or extends along the outside of the'portion 25. The lapping part of the end portion 26 has a longitudinal slot 21., The overlapped portion the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof,;-;;5

25 carries pins 28 and 29Ithat extend through the slot 21. The pins are headed and carry washers or spacers 30 on the outside of part,.26

spanning the'slot 21, and the pin 29 carries spacersv 3| between the lapping portions of the headband. I

This formation of the headband enables one of its end portions to slide with respect to the other in adjustment of its size. It thus is an expansive and contractile part of themask assembly. The headband may have a cushioning inside lining 32.

The headband'is connected to the members- I4 and I5 by rivets 33 or similar fastenings that extend through the crown member and band, these fastenings also securing the'crown member to the headband, and those on the split side extending only through the innerportion 25.

A member 34, of sheet material, constituting a link, to impart sliding movement to the outer lapping portion 26 of the headband in adjustment of size thereof, is fixed at or near one of its ends to the outside of "the headband. It deflects outwardly therefrom and then extends adjacent to the inside of one of the shield body wings where it has a longitudinal slot or opening 35. One 'of the longitudinaledges of the slot is toothed to provide a rack 36 with which adjust- .ing mechanism cooperates.

The adjusting or operating mechanism is mounted on the outside of the shield body wing. flat sheet material, preferably spring metal.

It may be of any suitable form having a driven element capable of coacting with the rack 36.

For example, the mechanism may be constituted as follows:

A circular plate 31, fixed against the outside of the wing, has a series of spaced circularly arranged seats 38. A knob or finger piece 39, formed with a recess 40 in its front, has a barrel 4| formed with a bore extending from the recess and non-circular at its inner end as shown at 42. The inner end of the barrel is rotatable in a journal in the center of the plate 31. Housings 43 extend from the back of the knob toward the plate 31, and they contain springs 44 that urge balls 45 or other suitable dogs into the seats 38, whereby the knob is yieldably restrained from rotation.

An element associated with the knobbarrel 40 comprises a head 46 that abuts the oppositeside of the member 34 and spans the slot' 35 thereof, next a pinion 41 coacting with the rack 36, next a part 48 on whiclnthe shank 16 of member I5 is swingable, and next a non-circular end 49 thatis disposed in the similarly shaped end of thebore 42 of the knob barrel. The

parts are held together by a screw 50 turned from the knob recess 40 into a threaded boreof the end part 49. A coil spring 5|,having expansive tendency, is positioned on the screw 50 between the inner end surface of the recess 40 and a washer 52 under the head of the screw. This spring operates to urge the head 46 against the inner side of the member 34.

This arrangement, as a single assembly of parts, not only affords means for altering size of the headband, but it also provides a pivot on a shield body wing for one of the members connecting that wing with the headband.

When a user of the shield wishes to alter the Y size of the headband to accommodate it comfortably to the size of his head, he merely has to reach up to the side of the shield to the easily accessible knob and turn it in the direction required either to increase or decrease the size of the band. The instrumentalities actuated by the knob cause the headband to expand or contract. The band once having been adjusted to size, urge of the springs 43 against the balls in yielding resistance to turning movement by the balls 45 in the plate seats 38. Therefore, as the pinion then turns with the link, there is no alteration of headband size in the swinging of the shield from and to protective position.

I claim:

1. A protector of the class described compris-' ing a shield body, an expansive and contractile headband inside of said body, and manually operable means mounted on a side of said body and associated with said headband for adjusting size of the latter.

2. A protector of the class described comprising a shield body; an expansible and contractile .headband inside of said body; :a link fixed to said headband andlextending adjacent to' the inside of said body, and manually operable means on a side of said body cooperable with said link for adjusting size f the headband.

3. A protector of the class described comprising a shield body having side wings, manually operable means mounted on the outside of one of said wings and including a rotatable part, an expansive and contractile headband between said wings, said headband being pivoted at one side on said rotatable part and pivoted at the other side on said other wing, and a link fixed to said headband and cooperable with said rotatable part for adjusting size of the headband.

4. A protector of the class described comprising a shield body having side wings, manually operable means mounted on the outside of one of said wings and including a pinion and a, spindle, an expansive and contractile headband between said wings, said headband being pivoted atone side on said spindle andpivoted at the other side on said other wing, a link fixed to said headband, and a rack on said link cooperable with said pinion for adjusting size of the headband.

5. A protector ofthe class described comprising a shield body having side wings, an expansive and contractile headband between said wings, said headband being connected at one side with one of said wings, a spring member connecting said headband at the other side with the other of said wings, and manually operable means mounted on one of said wings and associated with said headband for adjusting size of the latter.

6! A protector of the class described comprising a shield body having side wings, an expansive and contractile headband between and connected with said wings, a link fixed to said headband, said link having a longitudinal slot adjacent to the inside surface of one of said wings,

'a rack in said slot, and means mounted on the outside of that wing for adjusting size of said headband, said means including a manually turnable part having a pinion in mesh with said rack and a he'ad'at the inner side of said link spanning the'slot thereof.

7. A protector of the class described comprising a shield body having side wings, an'expansive and contractile headband between and' connected with saidwings, a link fixed to said headband, said link having a longitudinal slot adjacent to the inside surface of one of said wings, a rack in said slot, and means mounted on the outside of said win'g for adjusting size of said headband, said means including a manually turnable part'having a'pinion in' mesh with said rack, a head at the inner side'of saidlink spanning the slot thereof, and a spring urgingsaid head against said link.

'8. Afiprotector of the class described comprising a shield body having side wings, an expansive and contractile headband between and connected with said wings, a link fixed to said head- I band, .said link having a longitudinal slot adjacent to the'inside surface of one of said wings, a rack in said slot, and'means mounted on the outsideof that wing for adjusting size of said headband, said means including a manually turnable member on the outside of the wing, arotatable part having a pinion inm'esh with said rack and a head at the inner side of said link spanning the slot thereof, a screw holding said turnable member and said turnable part together, and a spring on said screw urging said head againstsaid link.

9. A protector of the class d escribed comprising a shield body having side wings, a headband between said wings and pivotally connected at one side to one of them, manually operable means mounted on the outside of the other of said wings and including a spindle and a pinion thereon inside of said latter wing, said headband having lapping inner and outer end parts movable circumferentially with respect to each other adjacent to said latter wing and one of them having a longitudinal slot, members on the other of said end parts disposed in said slot and maintaining said parts in proper relation, a link connected with said outer headband part, a rack on said link adjacent to said latter wing cooperable with said pinion, and a member pivotally mounted in said spindle and connected with one of the lap ping parts of said headband.

10. A protector of the class described comprising a shield body having side wings, a headband between said wings and pivotally connected at one side to one of them, manually operable means mounted on the outside of said other of said Wings and including a spindle and a pinion thereon in- 1 side of said latter wing, said headband having lapping inner and outer end parts movable circumferentially with respect to each other adjacent to said latter wing and one of them having a longitudinal slot, members on the other of said end parts and spacers on said members between said end parts, said members and spacers maintaining said parts in proper relation, a link connected with said outer headband part, a rack on said link adjacent to said latter wing cooperable with said pinion, and a member pivotally mounted on said spindle and connected with one of the lapping parts of said headband.

ROBERT L. MALCOM. 

